Swine Welfare Research has Agricultural Sustainability and Global Food Security Implications

The newly named NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Swine Welfare told FarmScape Online a new research program looking at swine welfare will contribute to the sustainability of farming systems and global food security

by Bruce Cochrane – FarmScape Online

“The swine industry stands to benefit, the pigs themselves if we made good breakthroughs stand to benefit,” said Dr. Yolande Seddon, an Assistant Professor in Swine Behavior with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and Adjunct Research Scientist with the Prairie Swine Centre and the newly named NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Swine Welfare. “We know that it should support the sustainability of the swine industry and if we are supporting the sustainability of the swine industry and market access then that can support Canada’s economy and rural livelihoods.”

“The nice thing about this research is that it’s so far reaching”

 

Last week the University of Saskatchewan in partnership with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada announced the creation of a new swine welfare research program.

“We also feel that this research is important to consumers because they have an interest that their food is raised humanely, and it’s probably of interest to consumers to see a new body of research being done to examine how we can enhance welfare for the animals in our care,” Seddon said. “Then, of course, all of this really taps into trying to address the bigger picture questions which relate back to pork as a high quality protein source and global food security.”

The focus is fundamental science in areas critical to understanding swine welfare to create new tools for research. For swine operations to track progress in welfare and for transparency.

“For sustainable food systems we need to make sure that we are not only efficient in production, we are maintaining animal welfare standards that are acceptable, and meeting environmental and consumer acceptance,” Seddon added. “The nice thing about this research is that it’s so far reaching.”

Dr. Seddon says all of this ties to global food security and sustainability of farming systems.